During self-isolation, give veggie gardening a shot this summer

Tomatoes are popular but not the easiest for beginners. Kelly McGowan with University of Missouri Extension suggests cherry tomatoes for beginning gardeners.(Photo: JOEL BANNER BAIRD/FREE PRESS)

There are very few positive things coming from a pandemic, but Kelly McGowan can see one glimmer.

“One thing that we’ve have seen come out of this is there has been this surge in people wanting to grow their own vegetables, which is great for us because that’s what we do,” says McGowan, field specialist in horticulture at the University of Missouri Extension and coordinator of Master Gardeners of Greene County.

McGowan says she’s heard from colleagues all over the state that people are buying vegetable plants in droves and the plants are selling for a premium.

It’s difficult to pin down what’s behind the spike in interest. It may be spurred in part by the fact that it’s a time of uncertainty and being able to provide your own food is reassuring. The other aspect, McGowan suspects, is gardening is a terrific boredom buster and stress reliever.

If you think you’d like to give gardening a shot, here’s what you need to get started.

1. Learn some stuff

To help beginners get started, the extension service has launched a couple of new programs.

The programs, designed to meet the surge in interest, are the new, free Home Gardening Webinar Series and Lawn and Garden Town Hall.

The webinar series launched Tuesday and continues with a different topic at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday through June 23. Topics include everything from planning a garden and identifying worrisome pests to preserving your fruits and vegetables.

The Lawn and Garden Town Hall, meanwhile, launched April 8 and continues at 11 a.m. each Wednesday. Anyone is free to submit questions in advance or join in to ask questions and learn about the issues other gardeners face. Horticulturists from around the state provide the answers.

2. Gather a few essential pieces of gear

McGowan says getting started with a garden is as simple as selecting a pot, filling it with dirt, sticking a plant in it and watering.

“For anyone that is a beginner, that hasn’t gardened before, my advice is to start small,” she says. “I think a lot of people see pictures of beautiful gardens on the internet, but when we get into July and the hot part of summer, you’re not going to take care of that.”

Instead, she says, ease into it by buying some large flowerpots and either planting from seeds or with plants from a nursery.

“Grow some things you like. Grow things you’ll actually eat,” she says. “Don’t grow zucchini if you don’t like zucchini.”

Basic gardening tools include a hand trowel for digging holes and a hoe for weeding. Gardening gloves and a good nozzle for watering are also helpful.(Photo: Getty Images)

She says tomatoes are very popular, but not necessarily the easiest to grow. She recommends starting with cherry tomatoes, which are easier, or peppers, which produce all season long. Yellow squash, green beans and corn also are easy to grow, but you need a bit more space for those.

McGowan says beginners really don’t need much in the way of a tool kit. “The main tools are going to be a hand garden trowel to dig holes — that’s one of my favorites,” she says. “You’ll need a garden hoe to keep weeding under control, and gloves are helpful. The biggest tools are something to help you weed and something to help you water your plants.”

She recommends investing in a good nozzle, one that will deliver water in a number of ways, from light mist to a rain shower. “A good nozzle is going to make the watering chore a little bit more pleasurable if you have a nice nozzle to work with,” McGowan says.

3. Make modest commitments of time

Once the garden is planted, it’s just a matter of tending it. That requires two things: pulling weeds and keeping the garden watered.

The biggest challenge typically is weed control. Weeds can take over a garden before you know it. “My advice: Go out once a week and spend an hour in your garden pulling weeds. If you can stick with that, you’ll be able to pull weeds when they’re small and you’ll be able to stay on top of it,” she says.

That time in the garden also gives you a chance to really get to know your garden, to see how it’s developing and be mindful of any pests or diseases that might be developing. But, McGowan says, it’s doable. “I work a lot of hours and I can manage an hour a week,” she says.

The other crucial element is water. Too dry and your plants will wilt and die. If they’re too wet, they can drown. McGowan recommends installing a rain gauge (any empty bottle or can will work, or you can buy an actual rain gauge)

The goal is to make sure your garden is getting an inch of water a week, be it from the sky or the end of your garden hose. Put the rain gauge in the middle of your garden and check it after rain or keep an eye on it when you’re watering the garden.

“You want your soil to not be soaking wet, but if the top inch of the soil is dry, it’s a pretty good indication you need water,” McGowan says.

4. See a problem? Call an expert

University Extension and Master Gardeners of Greene County have all sorts of info available online and by phone.

When it comes to insects, McGowan says the vast majority are beneficial — they either cause no harm or eat the ones that are. “But if someone is a beginner and they’re not sure, take some pictures … and we can identify it for you and give you some control measures,” she says.

You also can request a soil test to find out how healthy your soil is.

Bottom line: Offices may be closed or have restricted access right now, but experts are readily available to help.

“We answer phone messages, we answer email, Master Gardeners of Greene County is still answering the hotline,” she says. “Even though we’re closed, extension specialists are still available to answer questions.”

McGowan hopes folks will give gardening a shot.

“I think people are scared of trying. Just give it a try,” she says. “Even if you have a couple of large flower pots on your patio and you’re growing tomatoes, just give it a try. If you have a successful year, you’ll grow some more next year.

“It’s easier than you think, a lot of fun and great to do with the kids, too.”

To learn more

University of Missouri Extension and Master Gardeners of Greene County have a variety of ways to help you through the growing season.